Alun Davies: The local authorities’ unhypothecated settlement is allocated using a “needs based” formula which is agreed with local government.
Alun Davies: The locations for seven South Wales Valleys strategic hubs were selected after considering a range of evidence. There are no plans at this time to increase the number of hubs. However, other authorities and organisations are able to use the hub template in their regions.
Alun Davies: At the same time, Deputy Presiding Officer, Veterans' NHS Wales continues to progress. Established in 2010, this service has received approximately 2,900 referrals to date. Its pioneering methods, such as talking therapies and virtual reality techniques, are helping veterans deal with the personal trauma as a result of service experiences. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to start my contribution this afternoon by paying tribute to the work of Carl Sargeant, who didn't just lead but drove much of the work on this area. Members on all sides of the Chamber have paid tribute to Carl and his work during this debate this afternoon and it is testament to the work that he did as a portfolio holder responsible...
Alun Davies: Formally.
Alun Davies: No, there wasn't.
Alun Davies: I'm grateful to the leader of the Welsh Conservatives for his kind remarks. But I have to say to him that the Member for the Vale of Glamorgan has worked hard on this, and his contribution—the leader of the Welsh Conservatives—to this has been less than nothing. I have to say—[Interruption.] I have to say to the leader of the opposition that the economic policies that he has...
Alun Davies: I agree with my friend from Pontypridd, but let me say this: we have a UK Government that is in thrall of the right-wing press, who spend half their time avoiding paying British tax and then lecturing the British Government on what British interests are, and in thrall of groups of backbenchers who are at war with each other. They are unable to form a policy, they are unable to form a...
Alun Davies: I'm grateful to the leader of UKIP Wales for his kind remarks. However, I won't let that put me off. [Laughter.] I'm sure the management of Aston Martin are grateful to the Member for his lecture on their business and their business interests. I'm sure they will be very grateful to him for the time he's taken to do that, and I'm sure they will pay full note to the remarks he's made this...
Alun Davies: Llywydd, I don't wish to spend the Chamber's time this afternoon giving the Plaid Cymru spokesperson a lecture on the nature of devolved decision making—I'm surprised that Plaid Cymru don't understand that—however, let me say this: this Welsh Government has ensured that Welsh voices are represented and we will continue to provide a strong voice for Wales, standing up for Welsh interests,...
Alun Davies: Llywydd, the Welsh Government is in constant communications with Aston Martin regarding this investment and the support that the Welsh Government can provide to the company to secure the investment and the maximum benefit from it, but, certainly, the Cabinet Secretary will, of course, have heard your comments and will continue to bear that in mind as he meets and supports Aston Martin. Can I...
Alun Davies: The Welsh Government agrees with Aston Martin that a 'no deal' represents a risk to business. However, the company has not indicated any risk to the investment in St Athan, which is progressing at pace.
Alun Davies: Bernie, we're all going to miss Carl more than you'll ever believe, but nobody will miss him more than you and the family—Jack and Lucy and everybody else who knew him so well. I first met Carl when I was elected in 2007 and somebody, obviously with some sense of humour, put myself and Lesley in the office opposite him. I didn't know what to expect from a Chief Whip; I certainly didn't...
Alun Davies: I hope the Member isn’t criticising me for attempting to answer the question that was asked on this occasion. But I accept that he might see it as a very rare event. I accept the point that he makes and I don’t dismiss it. I think it’s a perfectly valid and fair point. In terms of what we’re seeking to do at the moment, our work is being tunnelled through the Seren network. I’d be...
Alun Davies: I’d certainly be happy, Deputy Presiding Officer, to take up the case of the constituent that the Member has referred to and perhaps that’s something we can discuss following this question today. But on the wider issue, I’m not convinced that the universities need to be more accommodating; they simply need to be fair. They simply need to be fair, and they need to ensure that the way in...
Alun Davies: I’ll say this to the Member: Jesus College Oxford took a group of Welsh students to Oxford in the summer, to a summer school, and spent considerable time talking with them. Over 2,000 people are now a part of the Seren network and are benefiting from all the advantages that that has given to them. It enables them to understand the processes needed to apply for and to gain a place in one of...
Alun Davies: Given that question, I would say, based on your homework, Darren, I don’t think you’d get close to getting into any one of these universities. I think you need to understand both the context of what is happening here and also what the Welsh Government is doing. And you need to look not just at a few figures, but you need to read the rest of the page, and then turn the page and understand...
Alun Davies: Welsh students deserve equitable access based on merit to places at Oxbridge. While the Seren network in Wales is helping to equip and prepare our academically brightest young people for top universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, those universities must now show that they are challenging the biases in their own admission processes.
Alun Davies: Llywydd, I agree with the point that the Member has made, and the Government has historically been quite shy about these issues. I’m less shy. I have seen the advantages of Welsh-medium education in my own family and I see the advantages of having Welsh-medium education for children across the country, which allows them to be part of the wealth of cultural inheritance that we have. I think...
Alun Davies: I’m grateful to the UKIP spokesman. He started his remarks talking about the land of song. Well, there are Members in this Chamber—Presiding Officer, you may be one yourself—who have actually heard me singing. The one thing I think that unites Members on all sides of the Chamber is that they don’t want to hear it again. I wouldn’t seek to inflict that on anyone. I understand the...
